Eclipse fails to bring a brighter summer to Cornwall's hoteliers

Many Cornish hotels are still nearly half empty just a few days before the solar eclipse that was supposed to bring them a boom in business.

A survey by the Cornwall Tourist Board has found occupancy rates of just 60%, compared with the usual 84% average for the county at this time of year. The eclipse is next Wednesday (11 August).

Explanations for the poor bookings include fears of gridlocked roads and high prices. Some hotels are also said to be refusing to accept anything other than traditional seven-day bookings.

The worst hit towns are Padstow and Bude, which are just outside the line of "totality" (complete darkness) and where hotels are just 30% full. Newquay, the centre of the traditional family holiday, still has vacancies in half its hotels. Penzance, one of the best places to see the eclipse because it will have darkness for two minutes and six seconds, is doing rather better, with 90% occupancy.

Farmers who anticipated lots of visitors with temporary camping grounds equipped with toilet blocks and showers are also suffering: they are only 20% booked.

A spokeswoman for the Cornwall Tourist Board said: "There are plenty of good operators out there who are not hiking prices and who are prepared to be flexible on bookings. But there are even more who are just in it for whatever they can get and this is having a negative effect on everyone."

Fowey Hall, Fowey, has imposed a minimum four-night stay during eclipse week but has not put up prices.

General manager Hazel Brocklebank said: " I don't see any point in profiteering. We need to take a long-term view of the benefits of the eclipse."

Despite the poor hotel bookings, the tourist board still expects up to a million visitors to descend on Cornwall next week to see the eclipse, three times the number for a normal August week.

Cornwall is to receive £200m in Objective One funding over six years from 2000. The European cash is intended to improve infrastructure including roads and communications.

By Jenny Webster, See "Welcome to the dark side", page 28